Connections In Our Lifetime
by Nobleni
Summary: There is no doubt that Fairy Tail's blonde mage, Lucy, and their fiery Dragon Slayer, Natsu, share a unique connection. Between heated guild fights, shocking relationships, and just plain Fairy Tail absurdity, how does anyone make it throughout the day alive? Brief drabbles of Natsu and Lucy inside their strange, (but somehow exciting?) world.
1. Getting Real Tired, Sorcerer Weekly

**Disclaimer: You know the drill: I do not own Fairy Tail...Hiro Mashima...If I did we'd have our Nalu ending...yada yada.**

**Title: Getting Real Tired, Sorcerer Weekly**

**Rating: K+**

**Description: Lucy struts into Fairy Tail, only to find out she's the subject of today's heated gossip. How will she overcome this obstacle? **

* * *

The Celestial Wizard tried her best to ignore the guild. Almost immediately after she strolled inside, Fairy Tail boomed with a sudden burst of giggles and hush-hush voices. Even as she sat down at the bar, Lucy's face flushed a bit like Erza's flaming hair. _Is my skirt flipped up? Maybe they know about my stuffed animal collection…. oh, no, it couldn't be that! Perhaps I have some lettuce stuck in my teeth?_ Lucy considered worriedly, succumbing to all of her worse inner secrets. How was she supposed to build reputation with rumors of _that_ bouncing around Magnolia? How embarrassing!

"Heh, Lucy, have you heard the shocking news? Never knew 'yeh had it in 'ya," Cana slid slyly from her wooden bench, hiccuping, a gigantic matching wooden barrel locked tightly in her bare arms. The bubbles in her stomach fizzed with nerves; a drunken Cana had always been a dangerous Cana.

But wait, how would Cana know about_ that_, much less the entire population of Fairy Tail? Lucy had locked it inside her heart, never whispered it to a soul! Her chocolate eyes darted around, inspecting what low-life leech had been sent to discover her secrets. Perhaps they'd broken into her apartment? _How criminal,_ the blonde huffed with hands on her hips.

"Ah, so you didn't know," hiccup, snicker-snicker, "Out of the loop, eh?" Cana pounded her fist against the table, releasing a horrendous animal cackle.

Huh? Was it not _that_ after all? The guild exploded at Lucy's expression of innocence.

"Now, now, Cana. Let's be nice to Lucy, alright?" Mirajane spoke up with a polished beer mug in hand.

Lucy didn't even try to hide her confusion in her voice, "What do you mean? Just spit it out already!" She demanded with a stomped foot.

Mirajane gave a small apologetic smile while wiping a steamy dish. A finger jabbed at the Sorcerer Weekly magazine on the table. It read:_ Special Issue: Sorcerer Relationships!_

"Ah, a special edition of _Sorcerer Weekly!_ I've been meaning to read this!" Lucy cried out, scrambling to hold the thin paper in her fingertips. Cana's smug grin arched upwards with amusement.

_Hello, and welcome to our special issue focusing on relationships between guild members! The purpose of this issue is to show the inside of famous guilds to our readers!_

The dirt on couples, eh? As much as she wanted to turn away at the gossip, the curiously bit at her insides. Lucy flipped the page and was met with a picture featuring two lovey-dovey members of Blue Pegasus. No real surprise, considering Blue Pegasus members were infamous for their guild's relationships.

_Aren't they cute? This young pair is rising to the top with their glamour, magic, and eternal beauty! Almost like a painting! But wait, there's more! A… love triangle? Tune in for the next issue for an exclusive interview with Blue Pegasus's best members! What really is going on inside those walls?_

Lucy frowned, not particularly amused. Love triangles were too cliché, too overused. She thumbed through the worn corners, browsing page to page. Her thin eyebrow raised; some of the couples were generally surprising.

That was when it happened.

_This is our 3rd favorite couple. I certainly never wouldn't guessed it! Here is the Celestial Mage, Lucy, and the Salamander of Fairy Ta—_

A magazine soared through the air, smacking a lazy Gray in the face, and he protested angrily; a string of _oi, what was that for_ and, _huh, what's going?_ The Celestial Mage paid no heed. She was too busy estimating _when_ exactly her life went wrong! Fairy Tail erupted with laughs at her expense, slapping her on the back with sarcastic congratulations.

Lucy was starting to think the guild knowing about _that_ would've been a lot less traumatizing than _this_.

"W-What is this? Natsu and I are not a couple!" Lucy spluttered incoherently, "Where did they get this information?! And t-that picture!" The picture had been a cleverly angled snap of them "kissing" when in fact, Lucy had been reaching for a potato chip the same brief moment Natsu had been. Their faces had only gotten dangerously close for a few seconds before Lucy had flung her hand away from the greasy bag. _How did they even get a picture of me in my apartment?_ She flailed, covering her cheeks to hide the pumps of embarrassment.

"Oh Lucy, we all know it'll happen eventually," Cana reasoned with a drunken shrug. A wave of her fellow guildmates bobbed their heads with agreement.

"Juvia is happy her rival found a new love besides her beloved Gray-sama," Juvia inserted, popping in beside Gray's elbow, who promptly jerked his head the other direction.

"Yes, real men form relationships!" Roared Elfman in the background. Lucy sweatdropped, slapping her forehead.

"Does Natsu know about this article?" She muttered timidly. The guild stopped for a heartbeat to whisper. They all angled their heads towards Natsu, (wait, when did he get there?) who inhaled down food like a vacuum cleaner next to his enthusiastic flying partner.

"Can he even read?" One member dared to ask in the flow of the moment.

"Idiot, how else would he read a request?!"

"Does he even understand the term _relationship?_"

Well, Lucy sighed, it was glad to know how much her guildmates appreciated the fiery Dragon Slayer.

Everyone eventually returned to their usual Fairy Tail shenanigans. Their brief entertainment was already over, and they instead switched targets to Gray, who had been shirtless with a Juvia tied tightly around his waist.

As relief washed through her entire body, she flinched at the warm contact tickling around her shoulders.

"Hey, Luce! I found the perfect request for you!" Natsu snorted a laugh with Happy riding his pink mane, strong arm around her. Fairy Tail stopped once again and spared a quick giggle.

Breathing out, she cracked a shy smile, "Fine, Natsu!" Lucy agreed, "But you better treat me to some ice cream on the way!"

While the wind nibbed her bare arms, Lucy blinked upwards at the Dragon Slayer beside her. "Natsu, you didn't say anything to the Sorcerer's reporters, right?"

He stroked his chin, taking a moment to consider.

"They asked me if I was in a relationship with you, so I told them yes. After all, we're partners!"

Oh boy.

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**AN: Yo, I decided to restart this drabble story. Anyways, I hope you appreciated this~!**


	2. Tears Don't Become Us

**Disclaimer: Troll Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail, and sadly, he will continue to keep trolling. (THEY WERE SO CLOSE TO KISSING!)**

**Title: Tears Don't Become Us**

**Rating: K+**

**Description: Lucy contemplates the weakness of her magic, and the weakness left behind from her mother's death. But, wait? Natsu actually says something reasonably smart.**

* * *

_Dear Mom,_

_Natsu got us into trouble, again… I'm starting to worry the master will never forgive us. You wouldn't believe the damage he caused to that townhouse! It was completely scorched! I had to reassure the owner several times that we'd cover the expenses, and even then, he was still boiling with rage, sheesh! Fairy Tail really is reckless, but somehow, it's the most fun I've ever had. Not that I'd admit it to anyone but you! Though, Natsu sure is strong..._

_-Lucy Heartfilia_

Lucy really didn't particularly enjoy missions. Sure, sometimes (and only sometimes!) the blonde girl shivered with excitement on what they'd choose to do next; battling thieves, Lucy saving the day with her signature Lucy Kick! But most of time her team tackled the hardest request on the board, and she would continuously complain, well, because, because…

"Luce~eee," an obnoxious voice slurred, echoing from behind her desk chair, "Fish?" It questioned. The humming beats of wings stuck inside her ears, however, Lucy refused to snap her head back, continuing to write, write, write… The sound of pencil scratching paper soothed her flaring temper. _Losing your temper in front of other people is rude,_ she noted, bobbing her head. Yes, she had decided kindness was the morally correct thing to do, rather than the alternative option of drop-kicking _certain people_ into another dimension.

"Eh, is that your book-thingy? That Reedus guy didn't really die, did he? That'd be lame," another familiar voice mused in a familiar tone, and even the markings of a pencil couldn't lull her unconscious now.

"DON'T READ MY NOVEL WHEN I'M NOT HERE!" Lucy screeched, resisting a Lucy Kick. She wanted to screech even more, but: _losing your temper is unladylike._

Natsu clucked his tongue, flopping onto the floorboards in an X-shape. Happy circled around her head chanting. _F__ish, fish, fish…_

"So?" she asked eventually, twisting her wooden chair to face the figure below, two arms folded with annoyance, "What brings you here? Oh, I see… You're here to make fun of last night's chapter! No wait, you're here to eat all of the food out of my refrigerator! Well too bad, I don't have money; I'm broke!"

His mouth quirked, whether with amusement or guiltiness, the Celestial Mage was unsure. Natsu's thoughts had always been an enigma, foreign compared to any other character Lucy had met in her lifetime. She wasn't even completely sure if he liked her or not! Was she really _that_ weird? Vain, as well? Happy seemed to comment on the vanity quite often.

"Hmm? I didn't come here to make fun of your book," he grinned, flashing that childish grin, "Right, Happy?"

The blue sidekick looked up briefly from digging in her drawers, "Aye!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Her chocolate eyes narrowed, eyebrows arched with suspicion. She shot a heavy _look_ at Happy. The blue cat slowly closed her underwear drawer, offering an uneasy smile.

"We took a request!" Natsu sprang up, Happy fluttering wings to his side, "So we figured you ought to come with."

Lucy risked a glance at the worn paper he flopped into her sight: _Eliminate a pack of Gorians from a nearby forest, please! These pests won't leave our townsfolk and crops alone!_

This was the part where she'd complain, because…

"What's wrong, Luce?" The rosy-haired boy frowned, his eyebrows stretched with concern.

"Maybe she's hungry…"

Lucy didn't _want_ to think with a negative mindset, but it always tickled the inside of her thoughts; always tucked away inside the vowels of her mind.

"Well, she did say something about food…"

And so she let herself think it: _I am too weak for Fairy Tail._

"Oi, Lucy! What's the matter? You have a funny looking expression on your face."

But wasn't it the truth? She'd dreamt a thousand dreams when she was little; dreams of being a famous Fairy Tail Mage, that'd she'd get better with a little practice. When? Suddenly, something felt very _wrong_ with her eyes at the moment, and Lucy sniffed loudly.

"H-Hey, hey… Your eyes are squirting water!"

She wiped her nose with the hand that bore her Fairy Tail Guild mark, "I'm crying, you idiot!"

"Lucy…" Happy mumbled, frowning.

"Talent really does run through your genes, doesn't it? People say you can get better with practice, and sure, maybe that's true…"

"H-huh? What's wrong Lucy? What's running through jeans?" Natsu cried, flailing his arms around, oblivious to the situation unfolding before him. All he knew was Lucy, his weirdo teammate, was crying and somehow _he_ had caused it.

"But you'll never be_ better;_ you'll never be as good as the people who possess talent!"

Lucy threw herself down on the chair, burning holes into the wooden flooring. She saw brief images of her youthful and cheery mother; a star in all of its beauty. How she would stroke Lucy's long blonde hair, brushing away leaked tears. How she would lean down and whisper_ tears don't become us_ into her tiny ear. Oh, how Lucy missed her mother...

Natsu exchanged a quick glance with Happy, a voiceless _what's going on?_ His brain clicked into gears when he finally put together the words.

He stepped towards her, "What're you spouting? The Lucy I know isn't weak!" Natsu gripped Lucy's thin shoulders, "The Lucy I know is not weak," he repeated, sending a stern look into her eyes; onyx meeting brown.

She recalled the words, the words Layla Heartfilia had said, so, _so_ many ages ago to her daughter, Lucy Heartfilia, to the point that she had almost forgotten them. _Lucy, do not think of yourself as weak. Magic comes from the heart. You must also embrace yourself to use magic._

The Celestial Mage sniffed once again, wiping her eyes with a palm, "Aye," she smiled, teardrops forming still lines down her cheeks.

* * *

_Dear Mom,_

_Natsu did it again! We were sent to move some Gorians from a town's nearby forest, and somehow, Natsu managed to engulf another cabin in flames! At least the young couple found it more humorous than the last guy… Oh, boy. I hope Master doesn't make us do_ that_ again._

_Anyways, Natsu said something to me today that reminded me of you. He can be somewhat considerate when he chooses to be. I really like that trait of his…_

_I am still missing you, everyday, every month. But since joining Fairy Tail I've come to realize, the past is the past, and the future is now. I want to continue my future with my friends inside the Guild. What was that line you used to say? Ah… Tears don't become us. I've caught myself using that line more and more often._

_-Your daughter, just Lucy_

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**AN: Just watched the first episode of Fairy Tail 2014, and I got these serious Nalu feels. I had to write something down. Oh, anyways, if anyone actually cares, this is based on earlier in the series. Now, excuse me, I need to go weep myself to sleep.**


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